


Escaping the dungeon

by LittleLuxxie



Series: Aeryll Hawke [3]
Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Cuties in serious situation, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Warrior Hawke (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 04:26:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19243807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLuxxie/pseuds/LittleLuxxie
Summary: Tallis and Hawke are trapped in the dungeons after a failed attempt at stealing back the "heart of the many". Hawke is surprised to learn Fenris had worried about her.Just a little thing about the conversations between Fenris and Hawke in "Mark of the Assassin".





	Escaping the dungeon

The coldness from the stonewalls crept in through Hawke’s shirt, she once again cursed herself for wearing a laced shirt and tight pants, which now made it very uncomfortable to sit down, to the party. She snorted, imagining walking in on that Orleasian parade in muddy armor. Would’ve been much more fun, and wouldn’t have done much difference to the outcome of the evening in the end.

She opened her eyes and looked at the elf sharing her jail cell. Tallis sat hunched over with her head resting on her knees. Hawke let out a sigh and closed her eyes again. There was nothing left to talk about, she was still annoyed even if she very well understood Tallis. It’s not like she wouldn’t have done the same thing. Still annoying though.

The time stretched on, and she started to feel annoyed at Fenris and Anders too. Where were they, how long could it possibly take to get here? Not this long she was sure, even with a margin for error, unless they were fighting again. Couldn’t they keep it together alone for one day? It wouldn’t surprise her if they stood outside arguing over who should go through the door first.

“That’s it, I’m officially tired of waiting to be rescued,” Tallis said and got to her feet. Hawke watched her, what did she have in mind now?

Tallis crunched down by the locked gate, and Hawke heard her rattling with something. She can’t be serious.

“There.”

“You could open it all along?” Hawke exclaimed, glaring at Tallis. “Why have we been sitting in this cold, damp cave for hours?”

“You said your friends would come.” Tallis smiled.

Hawke got to her feet too and walked out behind her. “Are you kidding me? If we could get out on our own, why would they need to risk their skin to get us? Idiot.”

“Charming,” Tallis said and rolled her eyes. Hawke clenched her fist, but Tallis hushed her and pointed to the prison door. It was a commotion outside it. Metal rattling, and distant voices. Hawke and Tallis took refuge behind two pillars. Looking at each other, and nodding. Hawke once again cursed her clothing, and lack of a weapon. This would be tough, if not impossible. She took a deep breath and peered around the corner. It was quiet outside the door. Then a key was put in the lock, and the door slid open. She retracted her head, breathed again and prepared.

That’s when she heard the whispered argument and recognized the voices.

“… if you had just been patient for another second,” a familiar voice hissed.

“And if you could shut up for once-“

“Hawke-!” Tallis whispered in protest and tried to grab her shirt, which Hawke ignored and stepped out from behind the pillar.

“You two aren’t real, couldn’t keep it together enough to not be late, huh?” Hawke said, shaking her head but smiling,

 “There you are!” Fenris ran forth to her and gave her an awkward hug. Then he searched her over. “Were you hurt?”

She gently freed herself from him, it still felt strange to have him touch her.

“Don’t fuss, Fenris. Other being cold to the bone, I’m fine.”

He made a grimace but took a step back.

“What happened?” Anders asked as he appeared behind Fenris’s shoulder.

“The Duke knew all along what we were here for, and had a welcome party ready when we reached the treasury.”

“How?” Fenris asked, looking from her to Tallis, who had the decency to look uncomfortable at least.

“I’ll tell you on the way,” Hawke said, “we can’t stand around here waiting for someone to come.”

They headed for the jail door. Fenris held out his dagger to her.

“Nothing more? I’m so disappointed.” She sighed dramatically. “I could think of a number of things I’d rather do than fight our way out of here wearing a lace shirt, with only a dagger. This’ll be fun.”

“We did not take a detour for our quarters, no. We thought to reach you hastily was more important,” Fenris said.

“This is your idea of haste?” Hawke said with raised eyebrows.

“If he,” Anders hissed, “had listened to me earlier we would’ve been here an hour ago.”

“Because you would have found your way through this maze without a hitch on the first try,” Fenris said between his teeth, “And may I remind you that it was you who lead us astray the first time.”

Anders opened his mouth to argue back. But Hawke held up a hand.

“I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed,” she said. Tallis snorted and received glares from both Fenris and Anders. “You are both grounded when we’re back in Kirkwall.”

“Very funny, Hawke,” Fenris said.

She knelt outside the door, where two guards laid dead and relieved one of his sword.

“He won’t need it.” She weighed it in her hand. It was slightly heavier than her own and had the balance point in another place. But not so much that it would provide any problems for her. Tallis had taken a dagger and knife from the other guard.

“Now I feel better. Do you know the way back out?” Hawke addressed the question to Fenris and Anders, but it was Tallis who answered.

“I actually had an escape route planned, it’s not far from here,” she said, “It leads to the dungeon tunnels spanning under the entire Chateau.”

“You are just full of surprises,” Hawke said, with a wink.

“So, are you ready to get out of here?”

“Maybe we should take a lap around the vault first?”

“Are you serious?”

“No,” Hawke laughed, “I’ve had more than enough of this place.”

 

Once they were out of the cellar and in the caves, they breathed a little easier. Hawke told the other two who Tallis was, and what had happened. Both reacted with an anger that surprised Hawke, much more than she had, and they actually ganged up on Tallis. She never thought she’d see the day that Fenris nodded in agreement when Anders talked and vice versa. But their voices raised with each word, and she had to interfere.

“That’s enough, do I need to remind you of where we are?”

After that, they walked in tense silence, and a part of Hawke almost got relieved when they ran into a nest of gasts. It was something to focus on at least, even if the small creatures were tenacious and put up a real fight. One jumped on her back and dug it dirty little claws in her shoulders. She tried to reach it to tear it off, but it evaded her hand. She saw the spear plunging forth, but it didn’t have enough momentum to have enough force. She could grab it, and break it in two. It also gave her an opportunity to catch the gast, it clung to her arm, hissing and showing its teeth. Hawke cut its throat with a swift move. A silence settled, after the last shriek from a gast ebbed out as Tallis pulled her dagger from its back.

Hawke pushed the hair out of her face and looked around. Fenris sheathed his sword again, and Anders dried blood from his hands on an edge of his cloak. They all looked unharmed. The wounds on her back, left from the gasts claws stung but could wait until later. Fenris looked at her, and a smile spread across his face. She looked questioningly at him. He made a gesture across his nose, and she touched her own. She couldn’t feel anything strange.

“You’re making it worse, come here.” He chuckled, he pulled out a handkerchief. While shaking his head at her he wiped her nose and cheeks, then showed it to her. “How you always manage to get blood streaks across your face without noticing eludes me.”

She shrugged, “Does it matter?”

“No, not really, other than making you look silly.” It was her turn to shake her head.

“Hawke, let me see your back,” Anders said and walked over to them.

“It’s just superficial, it can wait,” she said, “don’t waste energy on it.”

“It still bleeds. Let me just close them up, it won’t take much.”

Hawke pursed her lips and Anders put his hands on her back. The stinging became worse, and it itched insanely when the skin knotted together. She took a deep breath and felt his magic retract from her. The itching eased up a little.

“There.”

“Yeah, thanks,” she muttered and resisted the urge to grab the nearest stick and scratch her back with it. She rolled her shoulders and then they started walking again.

Not before long Tallis and Anders were arguing under their breaths. Hawke sighed, but since they were fairly quiet, she let it be. She only increased her strides, to come a few steps ahead of them and not have to listen too carefully.

Something brushed up against her arm, and she was surprised to see it was Fenris who reached out his hand.

“You frightened me,” he said quietly.

“Me?”

“Before we found you, there was a moment when I…” He looked intently at her, and she took his offered hand. It was quite uncomfortable with his spiky gauntlets, but shifting a little she found a way that didn’t risk cutting her hand. “Don’t do that again.”

“What? Get captured?” she asked with a smile, “because it has never been a plan of mine.”

“Hawke…” He dropped his gaze.

“I’ll do my best,” she said, and he gave her hand a little squeeze. She eased up on her grip, ready to let go of his hand. But he didn’t, he just kept walking with her hand still in his. It made something flutter in her chest, and she tightened her grip again. It was nice, walking here. A weak smile spread across her face as she glanced at him. Maybe everything wasn’t lost…?


End file.
